Big Take

On Tuesday, a federal judge reached a decision in a landmark antitrust case against Google and its monopoly over online search. But the company avoided the most severe outcomes after the judge decided that its business was already facing a growing threat: AI. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder sits down with Bloomberg big tech editor Sarah Frier to discuss why Google’s business wasn’t forced to break up–and how the ruling could impact Big Tech moving forward. Read more: Google Dodges Chrome Sale In Antitrust Ruling; Shares Soar Google Saved From Breakup in Antitrust Case by AI Threat See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America is in the midst of a historic housing crisis, with record homelessness levels and a nationwide shortage of affordable housing. Addressing this crisis is the purview of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the federal agency tasked with making sure Americans have a safe, affordable place to live. Today on the show, The Big Take’s Sarah Holder on her recent trip to meet with HUD Secretary Scott Turner, a former NFL cornerback and Texas state representative. Turner came into office pledging to help America build millions of new homes. But he's also supported other changes at HUD that critics say threaten that mission, like unprecedented staffing reductions and proposed cuts to rental aid. What will this new age for HUD mean for America's housing goals? Read more: Trump’s Housing Chief Wants to Build, But With What? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A global selloff in long-dated bonds — including 30-year UK gilts, US Treasuries and Japanese government bonds — has deepened. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura, Bloomberg Economics’ Jamie Rush and FX reporter Mia Glass in Japan discuss what happened this week in UK and Japan bond auctions — and what it all means for the global economy. Read more: Global Bond Selloff Deepens With Longer Debt Leading Losses See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beijing is holding its first military parade since 2019, showcasing the strength of China’s armed forces. Underneath the show of power, a Bloomberg investigation has found President Xi Jinping is orchestrating the biggest purge of military leadership since Mao Zedong. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg's John Liu about the dramatic restructuring of China’s military and what this sweeping shakeup could mean for the rest of the world. Read more: Xi Unleashes China’s Biggest Purge of Military Leaders Since Mao Further listening: The Shadowy Fleet of Tankers Moving Iranian Oil to China Tensions Are Growing in the South China Sea See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dismantling of USAID is contributing to a 17% drop in international foreign aid this year. That’s put some of the world’s worst conflicts in competition with each other for attention and resources. On today’s episode of the Big Take, Crisis Group CEO Comfort Ero joins host David Gura to discuss what this drop-off in funding has meant on the ground in the places that need it most — and why it’s so hard to sell developed countries on increasing their foreign aid budgets right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly half a million people die every year as a result of extreme heat. That’s more than the total from hurricanes, earthquakes and floods combined. And as the planet warms the risk of deadly heat is only increasing. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Zahra Hirji brings Sarah Holder a dispatch from a lab at the forefront of understanding how heat affects the human body. They break down the latest science on deadly heat, why everyone is at more risk than they realize — and what actually works to mitigate those risks. Read more: Scientist Shuts Himself in 104F Chamber in Quest to Study Heat Stress See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gamblers on prediction sites like Polymarket and Kalshi are already trying to cash in on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement — betting on everything from their wedding timeline to her next single. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder sits down with Bloomberg personal finance reporter Francesca Maglione and wealth reporter Annie Massa to dig into what a high-profile engagement can teach us about the rapidly growing predictions industry, the challenges with regulating it and who’s investing in its future. Read more: Taylor Swift Engagement Ignites Bets on Super Bowl and a BabyThe Taylor Swift Wedding TradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Korean shipyards are busier than they’ve been in years. Seoul and Washington are working to finalize a new trade deal that will include a $150 billion commitment to help stimulate the US shipbuilding industry. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Weilun Soon about whether the US-South Korea shipbuilding alliance could help President Trump achieve his US shipbuilding dreams, what South Korea stands to gain from the investment – and if it will be enough to disrupt China’s maritime dominance. Read more: South Korea’s $150 Billion Bet on Trump’s Shipbuilding Dream See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump shared a letter on social media Monday night, addressed to Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook stating he had made the decision to remove her from her position. It immediately launched a legal fight over the validity of Trump’s move and raised concerns about the future of Fed independence. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg international economics and policy correspondent Michael McKee joins host Sarah Holder to discuss the immediate fallout — and the potential long term ramifications. Read more: Trump Moves to Fire Fed’s Cook, Setting Up Historic Fight See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Friday, a big change is coming for the more than 4 million inexpensive packages that enter the US daily from abroad: President Donald Trump is ending the de minimis exemption, a loophole that has allowed cheap goods to pass through customs tariff-free for nearly 90 years. It’s a blow to millions of online shoppers, small businesses on platforms like Etsy and postal services worldwide — many of which have already paused small-package shipments to the US. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Laura Curtis joins host Sarah Holder to break down the demise of de minimis: Why ending the carve-out for goods deemed too small to matter is actually a big deal for consumers — and what happens next. Read More: Mail Carriers Pause US Deliveries as Tariff Shift Sows Confusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee is still more concerned about the inflation side of the Fed's mandate than he is about the employment side. This is noteworthy because in general markets are expecting rate cuts to come soon, and also Chairman Jerome Powell, speaking in Jackson Hole, put more weight on risks to the labor market. In this episode recorded at the conference, Goolsbee explains why he has some concerns about whether the inflation embers have been fully stamped out (he's particularly concerned by what he's seeing in the services realm), and why he has relatively more confidence that the labor market is in good shape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a speech at the annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Fed Chair Jerome Powell left the door open for a possible interest rate cut in September, sending a positive signal to Wall Street that pushed markets higher. This comes at a unique moment for the US Central Bank, which is under fire for how its handled rate decisions, threats to fire a sitting governor and a public inquiry into its building renovations. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Amara Omeokwe joins host Saleha Mohsin from Jackson Hole to discuss how central bankers and economic policy leaders are navigating the tensions between the White House and the Federal Reserve — and what we learned from Jay Powell’s last speech at Jackson Hole as chairman. Listen more: Odd Lots: Lots More on What Just Happened With the Fed at Jackson Hole (Podcast) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump Administration wants to “make America healthy again” and one of its top priorities is removing artificial dyes from food. The company behind Welch’s Fruit Snacks has spent the past ten years doing just that. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Will Kubzansky takes us inside the Welch’s factory and explores the challenges America’s other food and drink companies could face as they try to meet the MAHA moment and make a similar change under a much faster timeline. Read more: Making Fruit Snacks Without Synthetic Dye See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Starbucks and Intel to Petco and Astronomer: top CEOs are getting replaced at record rates. And the costs of these ousters can spiral quickly, dinging a company’s stock price and costing us all in surprising ways in the process. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s management and work reporter Matthew Boyle joins host Sarah Holder to dig into the often murky, always steep cost of a CEO ouster. Read more: The True Cost of Firing a CEO See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After meeting with President Trump separately, Presidents Putin and Zelenskiy could be headed toward a pivotal face-to-face meeting to begin peace talks. But what each side is willing to give up to end the Russia-Ukraine war remains to be seen. On today’s Big Take podcast, David Gura sits down with Bloomberg’s White House correspondent Justin Sink and Europe government editor Piotr Skolimowski to discuss Russia and Ukraine’s red lines and the role the US and Europe could play in guaranteeing a ceasefire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this point in the war between Israel and Hamas, it’s difficult to get more than anecdotal evidence out of Gaza. Almost every organization that once provided aid and monitored civilian welfare is no longer allowed in — or has ceased operations. Very few journalists are left there. But reports of a civilian population facing a hunger crisis are widespread. To understand the reality on the ground, host David Gura talked to Bloomberg’s Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner, UN reporter Magdalena Del Valle and Gaza reporter Fares Alghoul to understand how a hunger crisis unfolded there despite months of warnings. Read more: How Gaza Descended Into a Hunger Crisis, Explained Israel Intends to Fully Take Over Gaza Despite Global Isolation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a shortage of brand-name weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy cleared the way for companies like Hims to fill the gap with cheaper, compounded versions, customers came flocking. But in February, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the shortage was over, leaving the company's strategy in flux and some investors worried. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura and Bloomberg healthcare reporter Madison Muller track how Hims became the king of copycat weight-loss drugs and what’s next for the company as it fights to hold onto the crown. Read more: How Hims Became the King of Knockoff Weight-Loss Drugs Cheap Ozempic Knockoffs Are Suddenly Everywhere. Are They Safe? The Weight-Loss Drug Boom’s Prescription Problem Listen and follow The Big Take on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an unusual deal, Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have agreed to pay the US government 15% of their revenue from AI chips they sell to China. The US has blocked the sale of other, more powerful chips to China on the basis of national security, but the exception underscores the Trump administration’s openness to make exceptions… if the price is right. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg economic statecraft reporter Joe Deaux joins host Sarah Holder to explain the unprecedented nature of the deal, concerns about its legality and how it fits into Trump’s approach to trade with global competitors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump is heading to Alaska to host a face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin to talk about finally, maybe, putting an end to Russia’s war with Ukraine. Notably not invited? Ukraine — or any other European leaders. Today on the show, Bloomberg editor Flavia Krause-Jackson joins host David Gura to talk about why Russia has finally agreed to talk, what’s likely to be on the table in Anchorage and how significant this summit might be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a years-long slump, Hong Kong’s IPO market is roaring back to life, thanks to a growing number of Chinese companies that are raising billions of dollars in the city. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha and Bloomberg’s Dave Sebastian explore how China is transforming the financial hub into a key funding engine for mainland firms— and the risks this poses for banks on Wall Street and beyond. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.